TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR FEDERAL CAREER
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Chapter One - Introduction to Federal Career Development
........................ 1
Upward Mobility
Changes in Government
OPM Then and Now
The Keys to Success
Self Assessment
Locating Job Opportunities
Your IDP - Individual Development Plan
Completing Your Application
Networking and the Informational Interview
Follow-up (Staying on Track)
Federal Career Development (Training) Laws
Sununary
Chapter Two - Self Assessment
........................................................................ 9
What to Expect
Who's on First, What's on Second
The Process - Getting Started
KSAs - Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
KSA Description
KSA Definitions (General Employee Competencies)
KSA Definitions (General SupervisorylManager Competencies)
Assessing Your Skills, Experience and Interests
Definitions
Your Personal Profiles
Work Experience Profile
Networking Data and Work Related Contact Form
Education and Training Profiles
Personal Characteristics andattitudes
Overall Assessment
Interest Inventories
Chapter Three - Exploring Job Opportunities (Targeting Positions)
.......... 29
Occupation and Job Opportunities Chart
Qualifying for Federal Jobs
Merit Promotion Program
Sample MPP Announcement
Qualification Statement
Sample Qualification Statement
Position Description
Sample Position Description
How to Identify Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Sample KSA Comparison Chart
Your Career Goals
Chapter Four - Individual Development Plans
.......................................... 47
Career Development Checklist
The IDP Process
Evaluating Your Present Position
Goals and Objectives
Suggested Developmental Activities
IDP Developmental Worksheet
Preparing a Draft IDP
Preliminary Questions
IDP Fonns and Samples
Chapter Five - Supervisory and Management IDPs
................................. 61
What is a Supervisor?
Supervisory Roles
Supervisory Responsibilities
Skills and Abilities
Manager Positions
Preparing for a Manager's Job
Self Assessmentfor Manager's Positions
Managerial Competencies
Supervisory Developmental Assignments
Work Assignment Practices
Shadowing Assignments
Professional Reading
Job Rotation
Developmental Staff Meetings
Participation in Professional Organizations
Volunteer Work
Networking
Sample Supervisory/Management IDP
The Senior Executive Service (SES)
Executive Core Qualifications
Chapter Six - Explore Opportunities in Your Agency First
........................... 85
Merit Promotion Program Job Announcements
Intemal Placement Program
Voluntary Applications
Hardship Transfers
Details and Temporary Promotions
Agency Career Development Programs
Chapter Seven - Finding Jobs with Other Agencies
.................................. 95
Direct Hire Authority and Decentralized Recruiting
Directories
Books, Pamphlets, and Subscriptions
Computer Software
Intemet Resources
Transitions Services
Chapter Eight - Networking and Informational Interviews
...................... 107
Contacts, Contacts and MORE CONTACTS
Informational Interviews
Informational Interview Questions
Making a Connection (The NEXUS)
The Job Next Door
Personnel Information
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Phone Numbers
Chapter Nine - Completing Your Application
............................................. 123
Required Information
New Agency Fon-ns
Instructions for Completing Optional Form 612
The SF-171 Application
SF-171 Application Instructions
Chapter Ten - The Interview
............................................................................
141
Interview Types
Before the Interview
During the Interview
After the Interview
Chapter Eleven - Career Success
.................................................................... 151
Apply Early
Your Application or Resume
Apply Frequently
Mobility - Contact Multiple Locations/Agencies
Training and Experience
Keys to Success
Perseverance Pays
Networking
Appendix A - Career Transition Checklist 155
Appendix B - Federal Occupations Lists (PATCO) 159
Appendix C - Training Analysis and Course Recomendations Charts 179
Appendix D - Occupations by Education and Training Categories 187
Appendix E - Skills Index 193
Index 201
Introduction to Federal Career Development
Do you dream of a better life , more pay, a challenging position with
responsibility and one that takes full advantage of your background and
experience? You can turn your dreams into reality and be one of the hundreds
of thousands of federal employees each year that are promoted or obtain higher
level government jobs.
What separates those who want to improve and progress in their careers from
those who actually achieve success? The fact is that it’s not enough to dream
about promotions, great new jobs, and higher pay you have to plan a course of
action to achieve those goals. The factors that will determine whether or not
you succeed are motivation, personal initiative, and taking the steps
(ACTIONS) necessary to make your dreams come true.
If you’re not satisfied with your current job or if you’ve been bypassed for a
promotion don’t despair, help is out there if you know where to look. You have
many options and career paths to pursue in the federal sector. Even if you
lack the required education or experience there are ways to obtain skills
needed to reach your career goals.
Take Charge of Your Federal Career is a practical, action-oriented career
management workbook for federal employees. Packed with proven tips and
valuable assessment and evaluation tools. This unique workbook provides
federal workers with the individualized know-how and guidance they need to
identify, obtain, and successfully demonstrate the skills and experience
required to qualify for new and better federal jobs.
You’ll learn how to design a career development plan that includes self
assessment, locating job opportunities and career enhancement details and
assignments, setting realistic goals, networking techniques, how to complete a
dynamite application, interviewing techniques, and how to stay on track.
You’ll learn about new Federal Job Information Internet sites to locate job
vacancy announcements, agency web sites and bulletin boards, and new
employment applications, forms and procedures, new federal Department Internet
connections, how to enhance interviewing skills, and much more. This new
workbook provides abundant resources to develop your career goals and locate
government jobs, including (OPM’s) the Office of Personnel Management’s latest
innovations and the new decentralized procedures that you must use to make a
connection.
Upward Mobility
The potential for upward mobility in the federal sector is excellent for
those who know how to aggressively pursue their career goals. Federal
employees that take the personal initiative to plan their future have a better
than average chance to succeed and be promoted. Uncle Sam is this countries
largest employer and hires about 2 ½ % of the total civilian workforce. The
diversity of work and the ability to transfer to other agencies and locations
further improves your chances. There are so many options available that you
can easily get off track if you don’t focus your efforts on realistic targets
of opportunity.
Most federal agencies encourage employees to develop their careers through (IDPs)
Individual Development Plans. However, it’s the employees responsibility to
initiate the process and to develop personalized and realistic plans to
achieve their short and long term career goals. All agencies provide training
to improve your skills for the position you now occupy. However, they don’t
automatically provide training that is outside the duties and responsibilities
for your current Position Description unless you develop an IDP.
The opportunities are almost limitless by comparison when you consider the
numbers. The average annual separations since 1982 including retirements
exceed 400,000. Retirees often vacate higher level jobs and that means
opportunities for those who remain. Approximately 15% of the workforce is
eligible for retirement. The average grade has increased from a GS-6 in 1960
to the GS-9 grade today.
Changes in Government
Significant changes in the federal sector were initiated over the past few
years including new job application forms, downsizing, and personnel reform.
The majority of these changes are a direct result of the (NPR) National
Performance Review Committee and their report titled “From Red Tape To
Results; Creating A Government That Works Better & Costs Less”. This report is
an integral part of the administration’s plan to “Reinvent Government”.
The government plans to eliminate over 250,000 federal jobs by 1999. From July
of 1994 through September of 1996 142,436 positions were eliminated. The
majority of the cuts came from the Department of Defense. This number is large
by any standard; however, you must look at the overall federal employment
picture. Most of the positions have been or will be eliminated through
attrition. Uncle Sam employs over 300,000 new workers each year to replace
employees that transfer to other jobs, retire, or stop working for other
reasons. Considerable job opportunities remain for those willing to seek them
out.
Actually, more non-supervisory support positions may become available due to
the administration's strategy to reduce mid-level manager and supervisory
positions. The NPR suggested reducing the employee to supervisory ratio from 6
to 1 to as high as 12 to 1. The statistics show a decline in overall
supervisory positions from a high of 12.8% of the total workforce to around
12.2% today.
The retirement incentives may prove to be a bonanza for those seeking
promotions. Over 100,000 federal employees with 25 years service at any age or
age 50 with 20 years service have retired early and received a cash incentive
to do so over the past two years. Incentive are still available for selected
agencies.
Other significant changes include the elimination of employment registers and
decentralized hiring, the SF-171 job application form was replaced with new
optional forms or a resume format, over 100 written exams were eliminated, the
student hiring program was streamlined, over 9,000 pages of the Federal
Personnel Manual were eliminated, the Executive Departments began aggressive
reorganizations, personnel offices improved services, outdated classification
standards were replaced with a simplified format, and locality pay was
expanded. Even though OPM replaced the SF-171 application form with new forms
and the resume format, keep your SF-171 handy. Many agencies ask for the
SF-171 for internal (MPP) Merit Promotion Plan job announcements and you still
have the option of submitting a SF-171 if you choose to in most cases.
Don't be put off by rumors of pending changes. The changes are doing much to
simplify the complex federal bureaucracy to your benefit. Uncle Sam is giving
employees a greater voice in the workplace and it is shifting the focus of
government from a top down bureaucracy to entrepreneurial government. Use this
book's resources to take charge of your federal career.
OPM Then and Now
The (OPM) Office of Personnel Management governs the personnel policies
and practices in the Federal sector. In the past they initiated most of the
hiring and recruitment, developed classification standards, offered in-house
training, advised the President concerning civilian employment issues, and
provided oversight for most agencies. One of the NPRs missions was to reduce
the regulations such as the (FPM) Federal Personnel Manual that OPM
maintained. Today OPM has decentralized much of what they do. Most agencies
now have direct hire authority that allows them to recruit and exam applicants
for jobs as long as they get the training and the support they need. Much of
the training they provided in the past is now contracted our to independent
contractors and other agencies such as the Graduate School, (USDA) U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The changes were designed to give agencies a
greater voice in how they operate and to streamline overall operations.
Excellent Career Development Programs are now available through the USDA
including The new Leadership Program for GS-7 through GS-11 grades for
potential leaders and the (EPP) Executive Potential Program for GS-13/14 grade
employees. Federal Career development programs are listed and described in
Chapter Three.
The changes in OPM were designed to give agencies a greater say in how they
operate, to improve efficiency, and to provide cost effective and timely
resources to agencies where needed. OPM still provides oversight however they
have delegated much of what they do to the lowest level possible. This has
allowed agencies to be creative in designing unique career development
programs for their specific needs and to tailor programs to those who could
most benefit.
The Keys to Success
There are a number of steps that you must take to develop a viable career
development program. Without proper planning you may not succeed and a
structured program will improve your chance of success considerably. These
seven essential steps will get you where you want to go:
1. Self Assessment
2. Locating Job Opportunities (Targeting Positions)
3. Setting Realistic Goals (IDPs) Individual Development Plans
4. Completing Your Application
5. Networking (Self Promotion and Discovery)
6. Interview Preparation
7. Follow-up (Staying on Track)
......... Continued in book.
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